Controlling mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



. W. E. VER P LANGKL CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL GOMBUSTIONENGINES. APPLIO-ATION FILED APR.18,1912.

L9&4@6 Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

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.WILLIAM EVERETT VER PLAN OK, 015 ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOGENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21,1914.

Application filed April 18, 1912. Serial No. 691,643.

To all who/12,61? may concern, Be it known that I, \VILLIAM E. VnnPLANCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, county ofErie, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Controlling Mechanisms for Internal-Combustion Engines,of which the following is a specification. g

Ihe present invention relates to the con trolling of internal combustionengines and in particular to such engines where they are employed fordriving self-propelled vehicles operating on the main and branch linesof existing steam railroads although the invention is not necessarily solimited. In such arrangements it is necessary to provide a means forinitially starting the engine, as for example compressed air orotherdfiuid. It is also necessary to provide a throttle valve orequivalent means for controlling the admission of fuel to the engine.

My invention has for its object to so combine the starting means withthe controlling or regulating means of the engine that it is impossiblefor the operator to increase the speed of the engine above a certainpredetermined limit without shutting ofl the starting medium.

It is also an object of my invention to so combine the parts that oncethe starting regulator is released and permitted to close, it cannot beagain picked up or moved by the actuator of the engine regulator without returning said actuator to its initial position. I

, In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodimentsof my invention, Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of the upper partof a controller; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic view, illustrating the relation of the parts. i

1 indicates a base or support; in the pres ent illustration it is thetop of a controller for controlling the circuits of electric motorswhich receive current from a generator driven by the internalcombustion. engine. This controller is provided with an operating handle2 and a handle 3 for reversing the connections of the motors. The handle2 is arranged to move back and forth over a.

segmental plate 4 which is provided with notches to receive the'latch a.The lever 2 is rigidly mounted on a vertical tubular shaft handle andstop 12 or sleeve 6. Located wit-hinthe sleeve is a shaft 7 that is heldin a bearing 8 carried by a bracket 9, which is bolted to the sup port1./ Mounted on the-shaft 7 is an actuator or throttle lever 11. Thislever is adapted to move between the stops 12 and 12. Stop 12 definesthe initial position of the defines the limit of the angular motion fromleft to right. The lever 11 is provided with a spring pressed latchhaving a hook 13, which engages a projection 14 on the sector 15, thelatter being. loosely mounted on the spindle 7. Pivotally attached tothe sector is a link 16, whose outer. end is connected to an arm 17, thelat er being supported on a Vertical pivot 18. ()nthe lower end of-thepivot is an arm 19 for actuating the regulator of th-e'starting means. I

20 indicates an adjustable stop to limit the inward movement of the arm19 and hence the angular movement of the lever 11 so. long as the parts13 and 14 are in engagement. The object of prevent the engineer frommoving the throttle lever 11 over its entire range without firstdisconnecting the starting regulator by releasing the-parts 13 and 14. f

I prefer to-use air starting means which is provided with a regulatorcomprising a casing which contains a valve 26, the latter being mountedon a ,stem 27 that projects through a'wall of the valve casing andengages the arm 19. The valve-is alsoprovided with a guiding andbalancing piston 28. Between the piston and a fixed abutment is acoiledcompression spring 29 which tends at all times to force the valve26v againstits seat atthe same time causing the rod 27 to restore theparts 15 to 19 to their initial positions after the engaging parts 13and 14 are released. e

Referring to Fig. 3, 25 indicates the regu later for the air startingmeans, compressed air or other fluid under pressure being admittedbetween pipe 30 and discharged by the pipe 31 to the air distributingvalves 32 and 33, the movable members of which are driven by the halfspeed cam shafts of the engine. Each valve comprises a suitable casinganda rotary disk 34 that has a single port and as it is rotated permitsair to enter the ports I, II, III and IV, which are connected by pipes35 to the internal combustion engine cylinders 36, the latter beingnumthis arrangement is to i other suitable source of supply. Located inin the cylinder from being transmitted -turns the crankshaft and alsorotates the bered to correspond to the ports in the distributing valve.In each one of these pipes is a check valve 37 which permits air to thecylinder hutpreveuts the hot gases through the pipes to and beyond thedistributing valves. The arrangement of the distributing valve 33 is thesame-and further description is therefore unnecessary, The arrangen'ientoi the distributing valves forms no part of the present invention exceptas they incidentally enter into the system.

Fuel to -the engine cylinders is supplied by a manifold 38 to which fuelis admitted by the pipe 39 leading from a carhureter or this pipe is aregulator 40, which may he of any suitable construction adapted tocontrol the passage offuel'from the source of sup ply to the engine.

The-throttle valve shown is of the butterfly type, and is mounted on aspindle to which the arm 41 is connected. This arm is' connected bysuitable means, s1 ch as rods and levers, to the arm i2whic is rigidlymounted on the spindle? and moves at all times with the throttle lever11. By moving the lever 11 back and forth between the two stops i2 and12, the admission of fuel to the engine can he varied between theminimum and the maximum.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming that it is desiredto start the engine, the throttle lever 11 is moved up against the stop12 and the hook 13 permit ted to'er ,age the projection 14 on the sector15. The lever 11 is then gradually moved toward the stop 12 which causesthe arm 19 to open the valve 26 and permit com pressed air to pass fromthe supply pipe 30 to the distributing valves 32 and 33. Owing to therelation of the parts air willhe admitted by one or the other of thesedistributing valves to an engine cylinder thus moving its piston outwardfrom its head. This action distributing valves as in the normal operation of the engine. The result of this is to admitnir to the enginecylinders in succession until the cylinders begin to fire in theordinary Way. This movement of the thrott le lever 11 also opens thethrottle valve to a greater or less degree, depending upon the settingof the parts. As the throttle lever 11 is moved hy the operator, thespeed of the engine is gradually increased assmn ing that the cylindersare firing, until the arm 19 engages the stop 20 when further movementof the lever can only he had by disconnecting the parts 13 and 14; inother \vorus disconnecting the air starting regulator from the engineregulator. soon as this happens the spring 29 forces the valve 26 aainst its seat and at the same time t swings the parts 15' to 19 hack totheir initial positions as shown in Fig. 2. Further move ment of thelever 11 toward stop 12 will increase the speed of the engine byadmitoperator to bring the engine up to full speed until he has releasedthe air starting regulator; that. the actuating means for said regulatoris moved out of the normal working path of the throttle lever soon as itis released, and that the operator can only r connect the tworegulatorsfor simultaneous action by deliberately moving the throttlelever to its initial position against the.

stop 12.

In accordance with the provisions of. the

patent statutes, l have described the principleoi" operation of myinvention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to representthe best embodiment thereof; but Idesire to have it understood that theapparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can becarried out by other means,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

In combination, an internal combustion engine, a regulator therefor, astartzuo means for theengine, a regulator therefor an actuator that iscommon to and moves hotl regulators, and means for disconnecting one ofthe regulators from the actuator.

22. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a regulator therefor,a starting means for the engine, a regulator therefor, an actuator forsimultaneously moving both regulators during a portion of its stroke,means for limiting the simultaneous movements of the regulators, andmeans for disconnecting one of the regulators from the actuator andpermitting the latter to complete its stroke.

3. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a regulator therefor,a fluid starting means for the engine, a regulating valve therefor, anactuator that is common to the regulator and valve, and means fordisconnecting the valve and actuator and permi ting the latter to movethe regulator independently of the valve.

4C. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a regulator therefor,a starting means for the engine, a regulator. for Said. means whichautomatically returns to its initial position when released, an actuatorthat is common to both regulators, is per manently connected to one s 7A it to and menace and permitting said actuator to actuate the engineregulator.

5. In cornbmatlon, an internal combustion engine, a regulator therefor,a starting means for the engine, a regulator therefor,

a lever for positively moving the engine regulator over its entire rangeof movement, a connecting means between the lever and the regulator ofthe starting means,. and means for disconnecting said connecting meansfrom the lever.

6. In combination, an internal "combustion engine, a regulator therefor,a fluid starting means for the engine, a regulating valve,

therefor, a lever for moving the engine regulator, an actuator for saidvalve, a releasable connection between the actuator and the lever, oneportion of which is carried by said lever, and an elastic means forautomatically returning the regulating valve to.

its initial position and nicving a porl'ien of the releasable connectionout of the. path of the lever wvhensaid connection released;

is h 8. In combnration, an internal eombustlon engine, a regulatortherefor, a fluid starting means for the, engine, agregulating' valvetherefor, alever for moving the engine regu lator, pivot therefor, ameans mounted on the pivot for actuating-the:regulating valve, and acontrollable latch mounted on; the lever for connecting anddisconnecting they lever and said means. 1

9. In combination, an internal coinbnstion engine, a regulator therefor,a starting'means for the engine, a regulator therefor, means tending atall times to'move the regulator of the star-tin means to its initialposition, anactuator that is common to both regulators, a stop to limitthe range of movement of the actuator when both regulators are connectedthereto, and means for connecting the actuator and the starting meansregu lator, which can be caused to effect such connection only when bothregulators are in their initial positions.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day ofApril, 1912.

WILLIAM EVERETT VER PhANCK,

Witnesses J. M. SHERWIN, 1 G. M. GIBSON.

